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The Paradox of Pain

Larry Alex Taunton has become an expert in the topic of pain and suffering not only from his years of research and writing on this topic, but because he was violently injured in a cycling accident where a car ran through an intersection where he sustained 41 broken bones and 51 fractures, loss over half of his body’s blood. Traumatic brain injury, hearing loss and surviving to live each day with chronic pain.

If you or someone you know has endured pain, this course is meant to delve into the complexities of that experience. The teachings in this course will minister you or prepare you to minister to others.

Author and Host Ideas Have Consequences (Podcast)

Larry Alex Taunton addresses all the questions on suffering and pain from both a Biblical and his own personal experience.

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The “In-Between” Man

Introduction

Larry Alex Taunton - Paradox of Pain

Paradox of Pain Digital Workbook

Larry had been praying to the Lord to help him to see the people “in-between.” Back on Christmas Eve 2004, Larry’s car was in the shop for repair and he asked the mechanic if there was anyone who could give him a ride to a meeting at a local restaurant. An older man offered to do so. While in the shuttle van, Larry was scrolling through his phone, and the driver asked about his thoughts on a high profile murder trial that was in the news. He then said, “someone murdered my daughter.” How do you respond to this painful confession?

Why Pain and Suffering?

Pain is a deeply personal issue for Larry. For others, it might be an intellectual riddle to solve. These are almost always people who have not suffered themselves. 

Eye Witness Account

God in My Suffering

Stories from eye witnesses of Larry’s cycling accident.

Stay With Me!

Larry states, “I am the cyclist who was hit by a car that they are talking about in those interviews.” Incredible, isn’t it? To look at Larry today you’d never know this—unless you looked closely.

Near Death Experience

You hear about near death experiences. And Larry was skeptical about them, until Larry had one.

Someone’s Screaming!

Larry's next memory was when he woke up to someone screaming and he realized it was him! They were lifting Larry off the gurney and placing him on a stainless steel table in the emergency room.  While they cut off his clothes, he could hear the doctors shout that they could not find where he was bleeding.

God and Suffering

There are some things to be understood from the outset in this course on pain and suffering. Larry presupposes the existence of God. This course is chiefly for Christians. This does not mean that if you are not a Christian you can’t benefit from this course. Hopefully you do. But for you to fully “get” what Larry is talking about, you must know Jesus Christ.

Bring the Cake

This may surprise you: No sufferer dealing with profound pain asks the question, “Why did God allow this?” 

Development of the Soul

Why does God allow suffering?  The Judeo-Christian explanation of evil and suffering alone, among all of the many religious explanations, maintains that God is all-powerful. Others make God out to be less than God, a kind of superhero who is occasionally caught off-guard and who is not all-knowing and all-powerful. It’s an attempt to let these gods off the hook.  But that is not the biblical God.

Weep With Those Who Weep 

Larry had received two visitors during his time in ICU.  One was a pastor who lectured him daily on the 12 reasons why he was suffering and the other simply brought him a cake that said that he was loved. Two different visitors that illustrate the extremes of how to minister to the suffering.

God in My Suffering Application

Larry gives some practical assignments to practice on ministering to those who suffer.

Emergency Surgery

Coping with Pain

On day five in ICU Larry’s health took a turn for the worst. The medical team rushed into his room to prepare him for an emergency surgery. Then everything turned even more urgent when they discovered that his chest cavity had been filling up with blood for 5 days.

“Inside Out” Pain

Larry’s pain revealed itself in some surprising ways. The cycling accident caused him to suffer a traumatic brain injury that left him with a slight personality change that has left him more emotional. 

Thor’s Hammer

How do we cope with pain? Medication is the obvious way to cope with pain. In Larry’s case, he was on Neurotin, Morphine, and Oxycodone all at the same time.  Larry’s son’s gave him a Thor Hammer as a Christmas gift. Apparently, at one time in the ICU he said that he jokingly said that he was Thor. When the pain spiked he would tell his nurses to find his Thor hammer - he needed it because he had work to do!

Refusing Help

One of the ways to cope with pain is by being willing to receive help. Frankly, it takes humility to receive help. Our own pride gets in the way of us receiving it. Larry shares a humorous story about how he had to learn how to receive help from his own wife.  He admits that he is the type of guy who likes driving himself around. 

Perspective of Pain

Another way of coping with pain is to practice thinking of something worse than your suffering. It is important to have perspective. 

Faith is Evidential

Larry jokes that if you are going to go through your own Valley of the Shadow of Death, why not squeeze it for all that it’s worth? Why not benefit from the experience? While Larry says that he would never want to walk that path again, there are things he learned that he won’t trade for anything.

Skyfall Theology

Larry shares some insights on suffering that he observed in the James Bond movie - Skyfall. There is a scene where the villain in the story has captured Bond and points out all of the scars on his body that he has been inflicted with by serving as secret agent 007. He presses Bond to admit that all these wounds were caused by his superior and tries to force him to reject them and take revenge. Instead James refuses to choose and has faith in “M”, his boss. There is no intellectual response.

Divine Prerogative

If you are the kind of a person who demands a complete explanation of all of life’s mysteries or you won’t believe in God, then you are fooling yourself. You are recreating God in your own image. You want a God who is finite in your understanding as you are. 

No Other Option

In the book of John, it is recorded that after Jesus had preached a hard message, many people decided to leave him. And he addressed his disciples to see if they were also going to leave him too. Peter responds to Jesus in John 6:68:  “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Coping with Pain Application

Larry gives some practical assignments to practice on how to apply Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens”

Debating Suffering

Ministering to the Those in Pain

Larry shares how he once was asked to moderate a debate at UNC Chapel Hill between Dinesh D'Souza and Bart D. Ehrman.  Ehrman is an outspoken agnostic and chair of the religious studies department at UNC Chapel Hill. And Larry’s friend Dinesh D'Souza, is a political activist and philosopher.  They were on the stage at the Memorial Hall in front of 1,200 people to debate over Ehrman's book, God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer.

Don’t Try to Fix It

When ministering to the suffering, understand that no one wants to hear how your dog died or how you once broke a couple of ribs. It’s not a contest. This is not helpful.  And when ministering to the suffering, don’t try to fix it.

Natural Empathizers

According to Larry’s experience, when it comes to caring for people who are suffering, women are better.  They tend to be natural empathizers, where men struggle with crises, because they want to try to fix it. Men tend to be ready to go into action to fight the battle. 

Purple Hair Minister

Later, when Larry was finally able to travel to get his hair cut, the stylist was shocked by Larry’s look and he was surprised by how she looked. 

Comfort Zone

Human nature does not want us to go out of our comfort zone. We don’t want to see pain and suffering or even know about it. We would rather minister from a distance. 

Ministering to Those in Pain Application

Larry gives some practical assignments to try out when ministering to those who are in pain and suffering. 

Finding Hope in Pain

Most people who are suffering are not looking for intellectual answers as much as they are in need of hope. Larry explores several Bible passages on the causes of pain and suffering.

Abandoned

Larry has told some of the story of his pain, but he has been all over the world and has seen mind-blowing suffering. He makes a bit of a distinction between pain and suffering. He defines pain as the stimuli of suffering that is all that follows to the whole person: the physical, mental, and spiritual torment. 

Act of Mercy

Grace is the way that you can see yourself through difficulties.  Look to God’s grace to sustain you until that time! Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast our cares on to the Lord and he will sustain us.  For he shall never let the righteous fall.  Larry warns you  that this statement will jar you: part of that grace resides in the fact that dying is not the worst thing that can happen to you. This became a surprise to atheist Christopher Hitchens, when he received a fatal diagnosis. 

Living Open Handed

Experiencing pain offers perils of wisdom.  One is that you do not have to fear death. 

No Greater Hope

The greatest hope of all is: For the Christian, all suffering will, one day, cease.

Words and Warnings

Larry wraps up his course with six statements (and warnings) for those of you who have really suffered or are currently suffering.

Open Handed Application

Larry leads in an “Open Hand” exercise.

Conclusion

Larry offers a quick word of thanks and encouragement.

Your guide, Larry Alex Taunton